Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jessica R. Spengler, Stephen R. Welch, Florine E. M. Scholte, Sergio E. Rodriguez, Jessica R. Harmon, Joann D. Coleman-McCray, Stuart T. Nichol, Joel M. Montgomery, Eric Bergeron, Christina F. Spiropoulou
Summary: The VRP vaccine provides complete protection against CCHFV when administered 28 days before challenge, and also shows efficacy in protecting mice at different intervals relative to challenge. This supports the utility of the VRP vaccine for rapid vaccination protocols to mitigate CCHFV spread and severe outcomes.
ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Joanna L. Turley, Hannah B. T. Moran, Craig P. McEntee, Katie 'Grady, Natalia Munoz-Wolf, Lei Jin, Frank Follmann, Peter Andersen, Mats Andersson, Ed C. Lavelle
Summary: The degree of deacetylation and generation of mitochondrial ROS are key determinants of chitosan's immune enhancing effects as a vaccine adjuvant, with highly deacetylated chitosan showing the best immunostimulatory properties.
Article
Microbiology
Meng Hao, Ting Bian, Guangcheng Fu, Yi Chen, Ting Fang, Chuanyi Zhao, Shuling Liu, Changming Yu, Jianmin Li, Wei Chen
Summary: This study focuses on Rift valley fever virus (RVFV), a bunyavirus transmitted by mosquitoes that causes severe diseases in animals and humans. The researchers developed a potential vaccine and tested its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice, showing promising results. However, further research is needed to confirm its efficacy in a natural animal host and to potentially progress as a vaccine candidate for humans.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Michal Krolik, Lucia Csepregi, Fabienne Hartmann, Celine Engetschwiler, Lukas Flatz
Summary: The study investigated the safety and efficacy of reverse genetically engineered recombinant lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (rLCMV) in mice lacking a functional type I interferon system. The results showed that rLCMV provided excellent protection in immunocompromised mice by inducing multifunctional cytotoxic T cells.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Jose Manuel Rojas, Diego Barba-Moreno, Miguel Avia, Noemi Sevilla, Veronica Martin
Summary: Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a disease that affects domestic and wild ruminants, with multiple serotypes. Designing vaccines that offer cross-protection against multiple serotypes is important. This study showed that a combination of recombinant adenoviruses expressing different BTV proteins could provide protection across various serotypes.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Paul Kato Kitandwe, Paul F. McKay, Pontiano Kaleebu, Robin J. Shattock
Summary: RVF is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis that causes harm to both humans and animals. There is a need for more safe and effective DIVA-compatible vaccines due to limitations of the currently available RVF vaccines.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Luke M. Jones, Phillippa C. Hawes, Francisco J. Salguero, Javier Castillo-Olivares
Summary: African Horse Sickness (AHS) is a vector-borne viral disease that can have a high mortality rate in non-immune equine populations. The pathogenesis of this disease in horses is not fully understood, but small animal models, such as IFNAR(-/-) mice, have been used to study its pathology. In this study, AHSV-4 infection in IFNAR(-/-) mice resulted in lesions in various organs, including necrosis in the spleen, inflammatory infiltration in the liver and brain, and pneumonia. The IFNAR(-/-) mouse model proved valuable for studying the immuno-biology of AHSV infections and evaluating candidate vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Yong Bok Seo, You Suk Suh, Ji In Ryu, Hwanhee Jang, Hanseul Oh, Bon-Sang Koo, Sang-Hwan Seo, Jung Joo Hong, Manki Song, Sung-Joo Kim, Young Chul Sung
Summary: The GX-19 vaccine induced multiple immune responses in mice and nonhuman primates, including antibody and T cell responses. In challenge experiments, the vaccinated nonhuman primates showed significantly reduced viral loads. These results suggest that the GX-19 vaccine provides a durable protective immune response.
Review
Microbiology
Niranjana Nair, Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus, Guus F. Rimmelzwaan, Chittappen Kandiyil Prajeeth
Summary: Rift Valley Fever Virus is a mosquito-borne phlebovirus that causes febrile or haemorrhagic illness in ruminants and humans. The virus can prevent the induction of the antiviral interferon response through its NSs proteins. Mutations in the NSs gene may lead to the induction of innate proinflammatory immune responses and attenuation of the virus. Virus-specific antibodies and T cells are induced upon infection, which may provide protection against subsequent infections. These findings will help in the development of vaccines using existing platforms. Vaccines candidates have shown promise in safety and efficacy trials in susceptible animal species, which may contribute to controlling RVFV infections and preventing disease progression in humans and ruminants.
Article
Virology
Sofia Appelberg, Lijo John, Norbert Pardi, Akos Vegvari, Sandor Bereczky, Gustaf Ahlen, Vanessa Monteil, Samir Abdurahman, Flora Mikaeloff, Mitchell Beattie, Ying Tam, Matti Sallberg, Ujjwal Neogi, Drew Weissman, Ali Mirazimi
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), caused by CCHFV, is a prioritized disease. In this study, vaccination with mRNA-LNP encoding CCHFV proteins protected mice against lethal infection and induced robust immune responses. The vaccine also affected liver injury.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kirill Nemirov, Pierre Authie, Philippe Souque, Fanny Moncoq, Amandine Noirat, Catherine Blanc, Maryline Bourgine, Laleh Majlessi, Pierre Charneau
Summary: Dengue virus (DENV) is a major cause of dengue fever, including severe forms such as hemorrhagic dengue and dengue shock syndrome. Despite intensive vaccine research, a universally accepted vaccine against dengue fever has not been developed yet. This study developed a tetravalent T-cell vaccine candidate against DENV, which showed significant protective effects against all four DENV serotypes in a preclinical infection model.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Paolla Beatriz A. Pinto, Tamiris A. C. Barros, Lauro M. Lima, Agatha R. Pacheco, Maysa L. Assis, Bernardo A. S. Pereira, Antonio J. S. Goncalves, Adriana S. Azevedo, Ana Gisele C. Neves-Ferreira, Simone M. Costa, Ada M. B. Alves
Summary: In this study on dengue disease, a bicistronic plasmid pNS1/E/D2 encoding DENV2 envelope (E) and non-structural 1 (NS1) proteins was constructed. Vaccination with pNS1/E/D2 or pcTPANS1 + pE1D2 induced immune responses against NS1 and E proteins in mice, and provided protection against DENV2.
Article
Immunology
Tanjila Hasan, Ryo Kawanishi, Hidetaka Akita, Yoshifumi Nishikawa
Summary: ssPalmE-LNP is an effective carrier for DNA vaccines against protozoan infections, leading to increased survival rates and antibody production in mice. Further immunological studies are needed to explore the mechanism of protective immunity induced by ssPalmE-LNPTgGRA15.
Article
Immunology
Ting Bian, Busen Wang, Guangcheng Fu, Meng Hao, Yi Chen, Ting Fang, Shuling Liu, Changming Yu, Jianmin Li, Wei Chen
Summary: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a severe pathogen with no approved vaccine for prevention. In this study, a new vaccine candidate, Ad4-GnGc, was developed and shown to induce strong immune responses in mice, protecting them from lethal infection. Importantly, Ad4-GnGc was effective even in the presence of pre-existing immunity to adenovirus serotype 5.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yong Bok Seo, Ara Ko, Duckhyang Shin, Junyoung Kim, You Suk Suh, Juyoung Na, Ji In Ryu, Suyeon Lee, Min Ji Oh, Young Chul Sung
Summary: The waning immunity from COVID-19 vaccination and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants have led to the implementation of booster vaccinations. The GX-19N DNA vaccine was evaluated as a heterologous booster in mice primed with either inactivated virus particle (VP) or mRNA vaccine. The results showed that GX-19N enhanced the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 variant in both VP-primed and mRNA-primed conditions, with different effects on antibody and T cell responses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Elena Lopez-Gil, Sandra Moreno, Javier Ortego, Belen Borrego, Gema Lorenzo, Alejandro Brun
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alexis C. R. Hoste, Tamara Ruiz, Paloma Fernandez-Pacheco, Miguel Angel Jimenez-Clavero, Igor Djadjovski, Sandra Moreno, Alejandro Brun, Thomas A. Edwards, John N. Barr, Paloma Rueda, Patricia Sastre
Summary: A multiplex assay has been developed to simultaneously detect specific antibodies to five important pathogens in livestock, providing a new tool for disease diagnosis. The assay exhibited good performance characteristics with high sensitivity and specificity levels for each pathogen.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hani Boshra, Gema Lorenzo, Diego Charro, Sandra Moreno, Gabriel Soares Guerra, Isbene Sanchez, Joseba M. Garrido, Marivi Geijo, Alejandro Brun, Nicola G. A. Abrescia
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sandra Moreno, Eva Calvo-Pinilla, Stephanie Devignot, Friedemann Weber, Javier Ortego, Alejandro Brun
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Belen Borrego, Alejandro Brun
Summary: A study found that the drug favipiravir, known for its antiviral activity, led to the extinction of Rift Valley fever virus in infected cell cultures, but also resulted in the emergence of a drug-resistant variant. These resistant viruses exhibited reduced growth rates in insect cells, but not in mammalian cell lines.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Belen Borrego, Sandra Moreno, Nuria de la Losa, Friedemann Weber, Alejandro Brun
Summary: RVFV is a mosquito-borne virus causing important diseases in ruminants and posing a threat to human health, a study revealed a variant selected in cell culture with antiviral treatment showing significant attenuation in vivo, mainly associated with mutations in the NSs protein.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mercedes de la Fuente, Raquel Martin Folgar, Pedro Martinez-Paz, Estrella Cortes, Jose Luis Martinez-Guitarte, Monica Morales
Summary: This study characterized the expression patterns of important endocrine-related genes in the model species Chironomus riparius after exposure to three chemicals, providing valuable data for future ecotoxicological studies. Changes in transcriptional activities of certain genes could serve as molecular bioindicators of endocrine disruption in Chironomus riparius.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Horacio Almanza-Reyes, Sandra Moreno, Ismael Plascencia-Lopez, Martha Alvarado-Vera, Leslie Patron-Romero, Belen Borrego, Alberto Reyes-Escamilla, Daniel Valencia-Manzo, Alejandro Brun, Alexey Pestryakov, Nina Bogdanchikova
Summary: The study demonstrates that mouth and nasal rinse with silver nanoparticles can help prevent healthcare personnel from contracting SARS-CoV-2, significantly reducing the infection rate.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Osvaldo Daniel Cortazar, Ana Megia-Macias, Sandra Moreno, Alejandro Brun, Eduardo Gomez-Casado
Summary: This study demonstrates the capability of Plasma Activated Media (PAM) to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and PR8 H1N1 influenza virus without damaging healthy cells, acting through virus detachment and reduced replication. Furthermore, PAM treatment does not induce inflammation. These findings open up a new research avenue for the development of novel treatments for COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory diseases using PAM.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Raquel Martin-Folgar, Adrian Esteban-Arranz, Viviana Negri, Monica Morales
Summary: This study synthesized and characterized label-free graphene oxide (GO) with different lateral dimensions and thickness, and evaluated their impact on Chironomus riparius. The results showed that GO accumulated in the gut of C. riparius and disrupted its antioxidant metabolism. Additionally, different sizes of GO induced different levels of oxidative stress in C. riparius.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Belen Borrego, Sandra Moreno, Alvaro Lopez-Valinas, Nuria de la Losa, Friedemann Weber, Jose Ignacio Nunez, Alejandro Brun
Summary: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an arboviral zoonotic disease that affects African countries and has the potential to spread to other areas. Researchers have analyzed the effect of viral mutations on RVF virulence and provided important information for the safety improvement of novel live attenuated RVFV vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Raquel Martin-Folgar, Monica Torres-Ruiz, Mercedes de Alba, Ana Isabel Canas-Portilla, M. Carmen Gonzalez, Monica Morales
Summary: Plastics, especially nano-sized plastic particles, have negative health effects on living beings and the environment. These particles can be found in various ecosystems and exposure to them can occur through air, water, food, and personal care products. The toxicity mechanisms of these nanomaterials are currently unknown, emphasizing the need for further studies on their effects at the molecular and cellular levels.
Review
Virology
Hani Boshra
Summary: Bunyaviruses are a type of RNA virus that can cause various febrile and hemorrhagic illnesses. They are transmitted through arthropod and rodent vectors and can infect a wide range of animals and plants. Despite encoding a small number of proteins, they can cause severe diseases and have the ability to suppress the host's immune response.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Raquel Martin-Folgar, Adrian Esteban-Arranz, Viviana Negri, Monica Morales
Summary: This study investigated the changes in gene expression in the aquatic organism Chironomus riparius after exposure to different concentrations of graphene oxide (GO) materials. The results showed that larger and thicker GO nanomaterials altered the transcription of genes involved in cellular stress, oxidative stress, DNA damage, apoptosis, endocrine and development. These modifications provide evidence for the action mechanisms of GOs in invertebrates and highlight the need for further research to evaluate their effects on biota.
Article
Immunology
Maria M. Lorenzo, Alejandro Marin-Lopez, Kevin Chiem, Luis Jimenez-Cabello, Irfan Ullah, Sergio Utrilla-Trigo, Eva Calvo-Pinilla, Gema Lorenzo, Sandra Moreno, Chengjin Ye, Jun-Gyu Park, Alejandro Matia, Alejandro Brun, Juana M. Sanchez-Puig, Aitor Nogales, Walther Mothes, Pradeep D. Uchil, Priti Kumar, Javier Ortego, Erol Fikrig, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Rafael Blasco
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for fast responses and reliable technologies for vaccine development. This study reports on the construction and preclinical testing of a recombinant MVA vaccine, with the MVA-Spf vaccine candidate showing higher levels of antibodies, a stronger T cell response, and a higher degree of protection.
